Employers must include COVID-19 incentive payments, such as hazard pay, in an employee’s regular rate for calculating overtime payments, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) stated in recent guidance. What new guidance...
Employment Law Letter
Q We have an employee who definitely showed signs of being on drugs or alcohol at work. We want to let him go per our handbook policies, but he has now stated he is getting help for his problem. Is he protected since he...
With no end to the COVID-19 crisis in sight and the numbers of positive cases increasing in many areas, you may want to consider implementing a policy for your employees’ travel, if you haven’t already done so. As with...
We’ve seen many protests throughout the country in the past several months. Initially, the events centered on restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19. More recently, the protests addressed the death of George...
Conducting effective and accurate employee evaluations is an important part of any manager’s or supervisor’s job. Employee evaluations can be used as a sword, cutting through an employer’s defenses of its adverse...
Ahead of a particularly divisive presidential election and in a year filled with extreme racial tensions, many people are flocking to social media as an outlet for their opinions. The platform allows them to voice...
Most people know overtly sexual comments are likely to violate their employer’s rules and could lead to sexual harassment claims. But many don’t understand the comments are a problem not just because they’re sexual. That...
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued new forms you can use to meet the notice and certification requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Here are six good reasons to use the new forms. 1...
As fall approaches, many employers are getting anxious about the upcoming flu season. With COVID-19 still unchecked, they could soon find themselves in the position of battling staffing challenges and employee health...
In what appears to be our country’s never-ending political season, employers should expect even more employee discussions on partisan matters during worktime as 2020 winds down. It really is hard to get away from the...
Q We have an employee who definitely showed signs of being on drugs or alcohol at work. We want to let him go per our handbook policies that prohibit employees from being at work under the influence of alcohol or drugs...
Any Real Housewives fans out there? I'm not ashamed to admit I sometimes (with shocking frequency) set aside my Wall Street Journal and Brendon Burchard books on high-performance business habits to engage in a slightly...
Whistleblower charges alleging workplace safety retaliation have surged dramatically during COVID-19. Approximately 30 percent more charges have been filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)...
Major elements of the Oregon Workplace Fairness Act (OWFA) took effect October 1, 2020. The 2019 Oregon Legislature passed the Act in response to concerns voiced by the #MeToo movement. On January 1, 2020, the time to...
When Hawaii's 2020 legislative session began in January, the focus was on increasing the state's minimum wage and employment benefits. The bills were tabled, however, after the COVID-19 crisis shut down all businesses...